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OnePlus 5 vs Galaxy S8: Which Should You Pick?

Aug 14,2017• Proven solutions

Everyone knows Samsung and all their different Galaxy models. And when you are looking for a high-quality smartphone with plenty of features, most people tend to look at them. However, just a few years back, a new brand started to emerge and is now considered one of the best in the world. We are talking about the OnePlus.

When OnePlus launched their first models a few years back, they started to gain popularity because of their affordable price while offering some great features. The brand has now evolved and the OnePlus 5 is, in fact, one of their most expensive smartphones ever. So, it's fair to compare the OnPlus5 with the Samsung Galaxy S8. Which one is best? Which one suits better your needs?

We decided to compare both smartphones in 8 different categories. This way, we will have a better idea about the winner:

Check OnePlus 5 at Amazon Check S8 at Amazon

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1. OnePlus 5 vs S8 Design:

Featuring a slim 7.25mm thick metal unibody, the OnePlus 5 is a good-looking smartphone that also includes beautiful curved edges. But when speaking about curved, this is all that the Galaxy S8 is. From the glass on the back to the screen on the front, everything is curved. And to keep it all together, Samsung decided to use a metal frame.

One of the things we always like to look at are the bezels. While they are particularly small in both models, the truth is that the ones on the Galaxy S8 are smaller which ends up being great in terms of dust and water resistance. However, since the back is made of glass, this makes it more fragile than the OnePlus 5.

In terms of the overall size and weight, the OnePlus 5 is the lighter one, weighing only 153g. However, its screen is smaller although the overall size of the smartphone is bigger.

Another major difference between the two smartphones is the variety of colors you have to choose from. While with the OnePlus 5 you can only opt for either Slate Gray or Midnight Black, in case you choose a Samsung Galaxy S8 you can choose between Maple Gold, Coral Blue, Arctic Silver, Orchid Gray, or Midnight Black.

Overall, and despite the hard choice, we believe the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the winner in this category.

2. OnePlus 5 vs S8 Hardware:

While the OnePlus 5 comes with a Snapdragon 835 chipset and with an up to 8GB of RAM, the Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with an Exynos 8895 or with the Snapdragon 835 (depending on where you are in the world). In terms of RAM, you can count with only 4GB.

Despite the OnePlus has the double of the RAM compared to the Galaxy, the truth is that it really doesn't have a great impact on performance. And this is particularly to if you compare the Galaxy S8 with the OnePlus 3T, which only has 6GB of RAM.

Again, the comparison between the two models leaves them very close. However, for this category, we believe the winner is the OnePlus 5.

3. OnePlus 5 vs S8 Screen:

If there is one place where you can actually see the differences between top brands and the ones that are looking to be one is the screens. And we believe that this is where the major difference between these 2 smartphones reside.

The OnePlus 5 decided to remain in their comfort zone. Although they feature a 5.5 inches screen, the OnePlus 5 definition is only 1080 X 1920, with a 16:9 display. Despite this is quite good and is still able to maintain them as one of the top smartphones brands at the moment, the truth is that the Samsung Galaxy S8 features a 5.8 inches screen with a 1440 X 2960 resolution, which is absolutely incredible when we are talking about smartphones.

As if this wasn't enough, the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S8 includes smaller bezels and a lot of curves, it makes it a lot more attractive.

So, it seems that are no doubts about the winner in this category - the Samsung Galaxy S8.

4. OnePlus 5 vs S8 Camera:

OnePlus 5 really showed how they can be great with cameras. They managed to clearly close the gap that existed between them and Samsung just a couple of months ago.

The OnePlus5 features a dual-camera setup just like the ones you can find on both Huawei P10 Plus and on the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. The camera has a 16-megapixel and the other sensor has 20-megapixel. The results couldn't be any better. You'll get the most amazing photos with realistic colors and contrast, and largely clear and crisp. Although the light results may not be that good when you're using the auto mode, when you switch to the RAW-shooting pro mode you'll see everything the OnePlus 5 camera is able to do.

In what concerns to the Samsung Galaxy S8, it only includes one single back camera that has 12-megapixel. Despite this is clearly inferior to the OnePlus 5, the thing is that when you take a photo with the Galaxy, it will take you three images. Plus, it will also clean all the noise and blur, which will allow it to deliver only the best photos.

Both cameras are perfectly able to shoot 4K video and have a lot of different settings that you can use.

Although you don't actually need a 20-megapixel camera, we believe the OnePlus 5 is the winner in the category because it includes a lot more options than the Samsung Galaxy S8.

5. OnePlus 5 vs S8 Battery and Charge:

According to our findings, the batteries of both smartphones are able to handle one day without getting any extra charge. Although the difference between the two is pretty small, the thing is that the OnePlus 5 is a winner because it is able to get through the day and have around 30% of life spared. In the case of the Galaxy S8, you will get about 20%. The difference, as you can see, is pretty minimum.

However, there is a main difference in what regards to the charging. One of the things that you can do with your Galaxy S8 is to charge it wirelessly. And this is not only handy as it will be a lot faster.

Since the differences among the battery life are so short but the Samsung Galaxy S8 offers you the possibility to charge your smartphone at a faster pace, this is the winner in this category.

6. OnePlus 5 vs S8 OS and UI

In terms of the operating system, the OnePlus 5 already comes with the Android Nougat 7.1.1 while the Galaxy S8 comes with the same operating system but at previous version - the 7.0.

Although the versions of the operating system are different, they work in a very similar way. So, we can say there is a tight here.

However, the main differences are reflected on the interface of each one of the smartphones. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S8, they use their "Samsung Experience". This UI is packed with features although it looks very different from the Android.

On the other hand, the OnePlus 5 uses its own "OxygenOS2 system that is a lot closer to the original Android and is a lot cleaner as well. Despite this, it is still able to incorporate many of the top features that such a smartphone demand.

There is no question that the winner in this category is the OnePlus 5.

7. OnePlus 5 vs S8 Performance

One thing is for sure: no matter the differences that exist between the two different smartphones, the fact is that they both hold last generation processors, fast storage, and lots of RAM that will allow you to handle each game and app on the Play Store.

However, there are differences between the two brands.

Although both smartphones start with a 64GB storage, the OnePlus 5 doesn't allow you any expansion. So, if you want more storage, you'll need to get the 128GB model. In what concerns with the Samsung Galaxy S8, you actually have a microSD card slot that you can use to expand your storage by 256GB, which is a lot.

And the winner in this category is the Samsung Galaxy S8.

7. OnePlus 5 vs S8 Price

While the OnePlus 5 will cost you $479, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will cost you $735. This is not a small difference so you really need to consider the different features each one of these smartphones offers you. While with the S8 you'll get a better screen and a great design, the OnePlus5 delivers you an amazing camera and a better interface.


It can be difficult to choose between one smartphone or the other. While one wins in certain categories, the other wins on the remaining ones. The truth is that to make sure you get the best smartphone for you, you need to consider exactly what you prefer and choose according to that. There's no question they are two of the best smartphones on the market and if you don't have a huge budget, don't even think twice and go for the OnePlus 5. However, if you don't have any money constraints, you should go with Samsung Galaxy S8. The truth is that although this is not a winner in all categories, it is a winner in the most important ones. Not to even mention the fact that Samsung includes different perks when you buy it.

Liza Brown
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